Amazon starts delivering packages with Rivian electric trucks

Amazon I started rolling out some electric delivery trucks I developed with it Rivian CarsThe companies announced Thursday.

In September 2019, Amazon founder and then CEO Jeff Bezos Stand on stage at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to announce The company has purchased 100,000 electric vehicles from the startup as part of its ambitious drive to achieve net zero emissions across its operations by 2040.

Amazon released a version of the truck In October 2020and then Vehicles tested in a number of cities throughout 2021. Now, Amazon says it will use electric vehicles to make deliveries in a handful of cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Tennessee, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Lewis among others.

Amazon said it expects to have “thousands” of Rivian trucks in more than 100 cities by the end of this year, the first step toward its goal of having 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in the United States by 2030.

“Combating the effects of climate change requires constant innovation and action, and Amazon collaborates with companies that share our passion for creating new ways to reduce our environmental impact,” Andy Gacy, Amazon CEO, said in a statement. “Rivian has been an excellent partner in this mission, and we are excited to see our first electrified delivery vehicles on the road.”

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said the car’s deployment is a “milestone” in efforts to decarbonize last-mile delivery.

Amazon oversees a huge shipping and logistics network, and most deliveries are made in-house. As part of that, it increasingly relies on a sprawling army of contract delivery companies to ferry packages to customers’ doors, primarily using dark-blue Amazon-branded trucks burning fossil fuels.

Rivian’s launch process faced some challenges. Last November, Amazon delivery drivers tasked with vehicle testing claimed that the trucks’ battery drained quickly when heating or cooling was turned on, threatening the car’s range, and claimed the battery took an hour to recharge, according to the information. An Amazon executive told the outlet that the vehicles will have a range of up to 150 miles, which is more than enough for many delivery methods.

In May, Rivian sued a supplier of seats for delivery trucks ordered by Amazon, raising concerns that it could delay the trucks, The Wall Street Journal mentioned.

Rivian faced a series of challenges in ramping up production of its R1T and R1S electric vehicles. company Production forecast for 2022 cut in half In March, it moved to just 25,000 vehicles including Amazon trucks, amid supply chain constraints and early problems with its assembly line. He. She Repeat those expectations advance this month. Rivian will announce its second-quarter results on August 11th.

As for Amazon, which supported Rivian through Climate Pledge Fund, says it remains committed to creating a more sustainable delivery fleet. To support electric trucks, Amazon has added thousands of charging stations in its delivery warehouses in the United States

Amazon has hired other automakers besides Rivian to power its fleet. In January, Amazon said it would buy thousands of electric Ram trucks from StilantsIt has also ordered pickups from Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz unit for parcel delivery.

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Watch: The CEO of Rivian is confident the company can produce 25,000 cars this year